More Than 70,000 Oregonians Lost SNAP Benefits in One Year as Food Bank Visits Hit Record High

More than 70,000 Oregonians lost SNAP food assistance in one year between April 2025 and April 2026, while food-bank visits reached a record 2.9 million.

Number of Oregon SNAP Beneficiaries Reduced

A national SNAP tracker updated July 21 confirms that for the first time since the benefit cuts were enacted in the 1990s, SNAP participation fell sharply over a short period. Despite national unemployment remaining near 4%, SNAP participation shrank by more than 4.5 million people, or 11%, between July 2025 and April 2026 across the US.

Enrollment nationwide dropped by at least 5% in 44 states and at least 10% in 23 states following rule changes under Republican legislation. In Oregon, which previously had about 760,000 SNAP recipients, more than 70,000 residents stopped receiving SNAP between April 2025 and April 2026.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, federal changes will reduce SNAP spending by nearly $187 billion through 2034. In Oregon, the decline in assistance affected roughly 9% of participants.

At the same time, Food prices have increased by more than 30% since the beginning of the pandemic. The federal government also eliminated the equivalent of about 90 truckloads of food shipments for Oregon.

Oregon food assistance agencies recorded 2.9 million visits during the latest reporting period. Food-bank visits increased 15% in one year and more than 50% over two years.

SNAP provides approximately nine meals in Oregon for every one meal supplied through food banks. SNAP work requirements generally require affected recipients to work at least 20 hours weekly or lose benefits after three months.

Notably, Oregon lawmakers allocated more than $100 million for additional SNAP caseworkers, technology improvements, and administrative changes.